New Orleans Museum of Art turns 100 with a party

In most any other major North American city an art museum would commemorate an anniversary with a dry, stuffy affair consisting of a string quartet quietly playing Haydn or Brahms while hor d’oeuvres would be passed along to attendees by a wait staff in thick-starched black and white uniforms.

New Orleans Museum of Art (Photo courtesy of NOCVB)

But this is New Orleans and when the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) wants to celebrate its 100th anniversary, it does so with a unique gathering of disparate elements from across the community’s cultural compendium.

For 31 hours NOMA will play host to a variety of arts institutions and local stars, hosting exhibitions and family arts making activities. It begins on Friday morning, December 16 and concludes early in the evening the following day, Saturday, December 17.

Here’s a breakdown of the many offerings over the course of that day. The first six hours are regular museum hours, but special events will also be held throughout the day.
5 pm to 8 pm: Art-making activities
5 pm to 7 pm: Piano music and antics by “Uncle” Wayne Daigrepont
6 pm: Comedic improv tour by The New Movement
7 pm: Raffle drawing for the NOMA 100 Green Playhouse
7 pm to 8:30 pm: Isidore Newman Choir
7:30 pm to 8 pm: Reading with Mark Yakich from “Checking In/Checking Out”
8 pm to 12 am: Art-making activities by Prospect.2
8:30 pm: Tour by modern and contemporary art curator Miranda Lash
9 pm to 12 am: New Orleans Jazz Institute Quartet
9:30 pm: Irvin Mayfield performance and book signing
10 pm: Comedic improv tour by The New Movement Saturday, December 17th:
Midnight to 3 am: Quintron – DJ set
Midnight: Food by La Cocinita
Midnight film screening of “The Science of Sleep”
2 am film screening of “Basquiat”
3 am to 6 am: DJ Kazu
4 am film screening of “The Science of Sleep”
8 am: Yoga in second floor museum galleries
9 am to 11 am: NOCCA’s Red Hot Brass Band: Jazz Brunch in Café NOMA by Ralph Brennan
11 am to 4 pm: Art-making activities (Young Audiences and YAYA)
11 am: Roots of Music Second Line around NOMA leading to the front steps
11:30 am: “Louisiana Purchase” performance by ARISE Academy 2nd grade students
12:00 pm: Vocal performance from the New Orleans Opera Association
12:30 pm: Young Audiences of Louisiana presents D’Project, Inc. Youth Ballet Ensemble from Woodmere Elementary’s “Seasons of Joy”
1:00 pm: Music performance by talented music students of the Recovery School District
1:30 pm: Theater performance by talented theatre students of the Recovery School District
2:30 pm to 4:30 pm: Amanda Shaw finale Performance